Interview with Elliot Galvin: The verb associated with music is play: Video

Jazz interview with jazz pianist and composer Elliot Galvin. An interview by email in writing.

JazzBluesNews.com: – Which harmonies and harmonic patterns do you prefer now? You’re playing is very sensitive, deft, it’s smooth, and I’d say you drift more toward harmony than dissonance. There is some dissonance there, but you use it judiciously. Is that a conscious decision or again, is it just an output of what goes in?

Elliot Galvin: – I think it’s about balance with harmony really, light and shade. When I’m writing and playing I try not to think about it too intellectually and just follow my ear and what I like the sound of, sometimes that comes out as dissonance and sometimes consonance, it depends on the context.

JBN: – How to prevent disparate influences from coloring what you’re doing?

EG: – I quite like disparate influences colouring what I do to be honest, it allows for an element of surprise and the potential to discover something new.

JBN: – What’s the balance in music between intellect and soul?

EG: – Each one serves the other, I think it’s hard to draw a definitive line between them.

JBN: – There’s a two-way relationship between audience and artist; you’re okay with giving the people what they want?

EG: – I think if you make something you really believe in then the odds are someone else will really believe in it too.

JBN: – Please any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

EG: – Watching Jason Moran play solo, live at Montreux Jazz festival is a pretty special memory for me.

JBN: – How can we get young people interested in jazz when most of the standard tunes are half a century old?

EG: – I think there are a lot of young people turning to some forms of jazz at the moment; it’s just a matter of broadening what jazz they are exposed to.

JBN: – If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

EG: – Remove capitalism from it.

JBN: – What is the message you choose to bring through your music?

EG: – I just try to share sounds I love the sound of with people.

JBN: – Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really wanna go?

EG: – 1960’s America. There was a lot of great art going on.

JBN: – I have been asking you so far, now may I have a question from yourself…

EG: – What got you into jazz?

JBN: – Thanks for answers. My life ia a jAZZ!!!, but on my way I meet not literate people like you.

JBN: – So putting that all together, how are you able to harness that now?

EG: – I try and always remind myself that the verb associated with music is ‘play’ and just remember to do that.

Interview by Simon Sargsyan